Luck of Nines

21

He entered the Slytherin common room, hearing behind him that as soon as the door had opened that the Professor had already left without saying anything. All eyes turned towards him.

"The headmaster wanted to speak with me and Quackenbush as we were the students before and after the hat caught on fire and therefore closest," he spoke loudly and clearly to the group, "I was told to go to the Slytherin dorm after."

One of the older students rose up from their seat and approached him, "I'm Marcus Flint, Slytherin prefect." Unlike most of the first years this man towered over them all, built solidly with muscles that spoke of time spent physically exercising, which set him apart from most wizards and witches. He seemed blunt and cold, 'Harry' decided that he seemed alright for now, "Don't expect any special treatment here. Since apparently they don't expect their golden boy to be the one responsible for the hat's destruction, sit down and eat. The rules of Slytherin are simple; I don't care what disagreements you have here, be discreet and do not lose us any points. If you have any problems with other students, go find a prefect or our Head of House. You'll be okay so long as you don't cause Slytherin any problems."

Harry stared back, sitting down in the spot that Flint had gestured to, "Okay."

"Good." With a grunt the prefect left.

"Hello," he was softly greeted by Calliope Carrow, "I'm Calliope Carrow."

"It's nice to meet you Carrow," he returned with a nod of his head, "I'm Harry Potter."

"We know that of course," Draco Malfoy broke in from the other side of the table, slightly down the way from them, "Like I said; I'm Draco Malfoy. You've shown some good sense getting into Slytherin."

He watched as the other began to talk, no one interrupted him, a pack dynamic was already established amongst the first years, had been since before the train he guessed given the group he had eavesdropped on having been forced to find a new compartment despite Malfoy's group seeming to be the minority. It existed then because of who their parents were. He nearly snorted, this would be simple then.

There were currently twelve Slytherin first years, including himself. And two distinct groups, the ones who chased after Draco Malfoy, and a leaderless group that was careful to avoid getting in the way of Draco Malfoy. It was because of family power that he had this group, not just physical power but economic and social, power that was out in the real world.

Luckily, Harry Potter, had this real world power too. When they heard his name, in the magical world, people practically lined up to praise him. He found himself a group he could utilize to build a power base here. Because he wouldn't let anyone have control over him. He would start with the first years then, as Slytherin was the most skeptical of him. If they were the disillusioned ones, it made perfect sense. He was a figurehead for people like Dumbeldore.

      When Malfoy paused to take a breath, he spoke up, "So you're Carrow and you're Malfoy, and I'm Potter, but I'm afraid I still do not know the rest of your names?" He could feel Nott's calculating eyes on him.

     "Phineas Beckwith," Beckwith introduced holding out one hand across the table, 'Harry' shook it, "so tell me; are the rumors about you true?"

      He smiled in a sly cat like way, "Probably not, you'll have to tell me what rumors you've heard for me to be sure about that though." He turned to the person next to them before Beckwith could push the subject.

     "Daphne Greengrass, charmed."

    He nodded back.

    "Boyd." Green grass's shadow stated, from Greengrass's other side, sitting across from him, he nodded once more in recognition. 

    "Tracey Davis." A blonde haired girl cut in. Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion. He offered a bland smile in response

     "Pansy Parkinson."  A short haired brunette girl cut in.

     "And you are...?"

   When the next person didn't offer his name, Harry prompted them, but it was Malfoy who spoke, gesturing to the two people on either side of him. "This is Goyle and that is Crabbe. They're family friends, but they don't speak much, I reckon they got dropped once or twice by the nanny elf when they were little."

     Neither of the two reacted to the comments, Harry reckoned Malfoy was going to say more, but this time someone else spoke up. "I'm Millicent Bulstrode, nice to meet you." Bulstrode sat on the other side of Carrow, after Carrow there was a sizable gap between them and where the next person had sat, likely for if Rookwood joined. Harry now sat in that gap. There was another, larger, gap that was likely for Zabini and Rowle, after the person on his other side.

    "I'm Theodore Nott." Surrounded by emptiness on both sides, Nott looked like something of a lost kitten. The long pale hair and sickly appearance did nothing to make him less dejected.

     "It's great to meet you all," he smiled. It was a dangerous smile, he could not wait to really begin, Bulstrode had already saw the chance his presence could bring and showed a bit less than resentful quiet.

     He took a small bit of the food he had helped himself to, for once thankful for the instructions he'd gotten on polite table manners from Analyse.  The night passed easily, Malfoy seemed to notice the shift right away, surprisingly, the moment when Bulstrode broke in when he might have more to say. He had good instincts for someone who had lived what seemed to be a sheltered life.

      Slowly people began to depart from the tables and move to their dorms, one of the prefects calling out a reminder that the dorms had moved closer from the previous year. As people passed he listened in to their conversations ever so slightly, most useless bits of gossip that he didn't really care about but one thing did stick out.

     "That's odd, Professor Snape normally gives a speech before sending us out to our dorms."

      So the Professor was behaving oddly for humans after all. 

     "It's getting late," 'Harry' announced standing up as he realized the prefects would be moving over shortly. It was time to push a bit more, "We should probably head to our dorms as well."

     "You might-"

    "First years follow me, I'll show you to your dorms." Malfoy never even got his chance to protest.  Harry calmly pushed in his chair and led the way.